Penman s assistant



(No Model.)

' W. H. B OTSFORD.

PENMANS ASSISTANT. No. 305,568. Patented Sept. 23, 1884.

A IHIHHIIIHIW llmllmmmmmun mmmmIWHJHIHHH Win/ewes .Ziwen zar I WWW/W 712211;? Jmdzyow EEEEEEE & Pmn-Litm n hor. Wahin lnn. o. c.

UNITED STATES YVILLIS H. BOTSFORD, OF BRIDGEPORT,CONNECTICUT.

PEN MANS ASSISTANT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 305,568, dated September 23, 1884.

' Application filed March 29, 1884. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIs H. Borsnonn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lPenmens Assistants; and I do hereby declare the 'following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain novel and useful improvements in penmens assistants; and it has for its object to provide such a device as shall be cheap and simple in its construction, andwhich will serve to keep the hand and fingers of the penman in their proper position and the pen or pencil at its correct angle relative to the paper; and with these ends in view my invention consists in the details of construction hereinafter fully and in detail described, and then specifically designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which my invention appertains may more fully understand its construction and operation, I will proceed to describe the same in detail, referring by letter to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which-- i Figure 1 shows a development of my improvement, and Fig. 2 a perspective of the same.

Similar letters denote like parts in both fig ures of the drawings.

A is a sheath adapted to closely surround an ordinary pen-holderor pencil, and B is a projecting strip attached thereto or formed integral therewith. This projecting strip extends from the sheath at right angles, and is curved downward toward its free end, which is turned up to afford a smooth bearingsurface against the paper. From the strip B and extending from it at right angles is an other strip,G, which is also bent downward and has its free end slightly turned, as has the strip B. t

The adaptation of my improvement is as follows: "When in position within the hand,

the ends of the first and second fingers rest upon the sheath at a, the projecting strip 13 lies against the inner surface of the hand, at right angles to the fingers and under the knuckle-joints, and the projection G closely follows the contour of the partly-closed hand in a line from the base of the second finger backward toward the central line of the wrist. When held in this manner. the ends of the projecting strips B and 0 rest upon the paper, and, with the pencil-point, form a support as well as guide for the hand, which is relieved from strain by the contact of the strips and pencil-point with the paper. The

writer, as will be readily seen, has no further duty to perform than to guide the pencil over the paper as may be desired, the ends of the strips and the pencil-point serving to keep the hand in position, bear the weight of the pencil, and keep it at its proper angle. My improved penmans assistant may be constructed of any desired material-either of wood, celluloid, or of metalby striking or casting; but I preferably form it of sheet metal, thus making a light, strong, and durable instrument. I

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a penmans assistant, as described, the sheath adapted to surround and hold the pen or pencil, and having projecting therefronrand formed integral therewith a strip projecting outward and downward in the are of a circle, as shown, from whichin turn depends, also in the are of a circle and at right angles from the first strip, a second strip, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the sheath A, of

the strip B, formed integral therewith, and from which projects outward and downward the strip 0, substantially as set forth,

In testimony whereof I my signature in presence of two witnesses.

W'ILLIS H. BOTSFORD. 

